Ass-kicked... - Monday, April 25 2005

man...this new position they got me doing @ BCIT in Student Records is pretty killer...basically 2 people's jobs merged into one. it's busy season too since it's the end of the term, ppl are requesting transcripts/marks/updates left n right...i've got phonecalls comin' out my ass...yeesh. the only upside is that the day doesn't drag on i guess...O_o nyeh...only the first day. hopefully it gets better.

Cougar Country - Tuesday, April 26, 2005

there's good news, and then there's some bad news. good news is; today things started to make a little bit more sense, i have a slightly better understanding of what my tasks are, how to do them efficiently, and that although transcripts are very touchy/delicate business, "fatal" mistakes aren't (usually) undoable. or at least i think i'm getting the hang of things...if i screwed stuff up today i'll know tomorrow morning. O_o

ok, so the bad news...

being the only guy in the department is going to prove quite interesting. i'm working in cougar country! lol (ok it's not that bad)...but yeah the fun's already starting. the gossip, the "girl-talk" (did you know they have something called speed-dry nail polish?!!), and one lady (the one who's training me) told me her daughter asked if i was a ninja turtle. yes, she asked if i was green & had a sword. funny thing is, i just so happened to be wearing a very green shirt today too. O_o

but, aside from being compared to a mutated amphibian, and nearly passing out due to the intoxicating fumes of potent cosmetics...i survived. being busy does help the day go back quick though, 0830-1630 flies by pretty quick, and it's great that it's so sunny these days too. even got a chance to just lie on the grass n nap for 20min. during lunch. aah...beautiful Vancouver weather.

but then after lunch, back to work. didn't even have the energy to finish what i wanted to do @ the gym after work. ended up only finishing 4 of the 6 things i'd planned on doing before i decided to pack it up n head home for some dinner.

BDB Strikes Again!! - Wednesday, April 27 2005

work was ok, steady, but definitely not slow.

nearly stole the boss's apple on the way home from work today. not intentionally of course! i knew i'd brought an apple to work that day, n i usu. put my lunch in the fridge @ the back of the department. i ate my sandwich n stuff @ lunch, planned on eating the apple on the busride home. so @ 1630 i go back to the fridge n look @ the spot where i'd put my lunch, expecting to find my apple there...*gone*! i naturally assumed someone else must've eaten/taken it by accident, cuz i saw another one on the shelf below it. (a much nicer, BIGGER one!) not hesitating for an instant, i snatched it out of the fridge n figured that was that. what a good deal; the apple i'd brought was a small red one (had some bug-bite holes or whatever in it too), not a very "delicious" looking piece of fruit...but now it had been replaced w/ a juicy fuji apple! i was delighted...until i went back to grab my bag before i left, and as i opened it up i saw: my diminutive apple. i'd never even put it in the fridge in the first place.

with a downcast expression & a heavy heart, i trudged back to the fridge to return the treasure that i'd wrongfully claimed. (see, i have morals) as i passed by my supervisor's open office door along the way i let her know i was "this" close to eating someone's apple by mistake. her eyes light up immediately: "you're not talking about MY beautiful FUJI apple are you?" O_o

*whew* that was close.

well, so at least we got a laugh out of it...but the ride home wasn't nearly as pleasant as it could've been; for some reason, my original apple was neither red nor delicious anymore...it just looked brown & bitter. >=[

Foot in Mouth disease - Thursday, April 28 2005

k, for my memory purposes only, someone @ work unintentionally made some retarded remark (not insulting, but pretty stupid) and managed to embarrass herself in front of me n another co-worker. it was directed at me, and the only response required to trigger the ensuing 3rd party-laughter and cause the speaker to blush was a raised eyebrow/quirky look from me. i wasn't offended, just stupified at how retarded some people can be. no details here. it's too weird.

gym after work, went home to find a message asking if can make it in for an interview next week regarding that management trainee position i (reluctantly) applied for last week. hrrm...here goes nothin'...

*Sidenote: o yeah, guess who got "ass-punched" today?

poor girl, just minding her own business...
.
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.
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when all of a sudden...
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ass-punch!!

de Quest for Coke, you nut... - Friday, April 29 2005

whew, TGIF for real...this work week was nasty. but it's funny how the strangest little thing can make it all better; i was just sitting in the basement on my comp, my back facing the TV which my sis was watching...n all of a sudden i hear a delicate guitar tune being finger-picked in the background, then a soft yet steady tapping for a few seconds...then some syncopated knocking kicks in...intrigued, i turn around to see a Coke commercial in mid-air...

"you put de lime in de coke, you nut n drink 'em both together..."

i'm captivated. i'm sold. not only do i now have to go n try this new "Coke w/ Lime", but i can't get the tune out of my head! i instantly had to go n see the commercial online (it's still on repeat as i blog...), i love it! my sister gives me one of those "damn, you're weird..." looks and informs me that this ad has actually been running for a while. hey, so i don't watch tv much ok? yes, i'm easily amused.

it is now 2255 on a friday night. i've had a long day, didn't feel like going out n doing much, but now i have the irresistible urge to take the 10min. walk up Royal Oak Ave. and see if 7-11 carries this "Coke, with lime". do i give in? it doesn't even take 5 minutes of contemplation before i'm out the door, walkin' up the hill humming the tune of the commercial in my strange little head. n hey...i'm not even a Coke fan! guess this proves that advertising can work...



and just in case you haven't been lucky enough to have seen the ad already, you can check it out here: "Coke, You Nut" it's great...

here we go; another week...

Monday, April 18 2005

0730: wake to the sweet sounds of a snoring seefutjai >=[ uy...

0820: drop off pops @ work, head to work @ BCIT

0855: need my caffeine O_o...stumble into the office.
- co-worker lady's feeling chatty this morning, going on n on about her sons, one of whom is an astro-physicist @ CalTech in the states (sure sounds impressive, to me anwyway)
- day's pretty slack, not much going on @ either of the 3 centres...

1330: meet up for lunch w/ a friend on campus (more specifically; a girl w/ an "interesting" middle name). i'll leave it at that.

1500: time to lock up, security sends some 80-year old guy down to the NE1 Test Centre to lock up, buddy can't even find the right key to lock the cabinets/doors, yeesh...the geezer's talkative too; jabbers on about how he used to work up North, chasing culprits in the snow...yaddayadda...(sorry grandpa, any other day i'd be interested, but it's Monday n i'm tired).

1530-1700: gym. felt really tired for some reason, just not motivated, ended up not finishing n just lying on the field/track outside for a few minutes soaking up the gorgeous sunshine. aah...
- picked up pops from work, then back home. found a message for me on the answering machine, some dude from Absolute Recruitment (an agency based in Toronto/Sauga/Vancouver) seems interested in my resume. guess i'll call buddy back tomorrow...

2025: *whew*!! near emergency!! was just relaxing after dinner, talkin' to my sis on msn n letting her have a lil dose of "Bobo Live" (she misses the seefutjai...i can empathize)...so i put the dog down n i'm just chilling in my basement, playing/singing that Howie Day song (Collide) when all of a sudden; i feel bottom of my guitar slip out from underneath my arm...O_o!!! the shoulder strap must've gotten twisted & the lil notch @ that end probably slipped off of the brass nob...uyy...but luckily my turtle (ninja turtle) reflexes kicked in, n i managed to save it...whew. that was a close one.


Tuesday, April 19 2005

called the dude back from Absolute Recruitment back, set up an interview for tomorrow @ 1100. says the position's for some "fairly new, funky company..." in the internet-marketing biz...hmmm...so they're "funky"? is that supposed to mean i don't have to take out the earrings tomorrow? haha, but i think i will just because. i don't have time to get a haircut though...i guess this "messy mop" will have to do...

finally finished doing my taxes (i think), hope i did 'em right. did some laundry, went for a run, (gorgeous day outside btw) n just lounged around w/ bobo for most of the day:


uncle Tyrone's just flew into town earlier today. gonna be here for a while visiting grandma n stuff so that's cool...maybe i'll get a chance to show him around if i'm free.

Choices - Wednesday, April 20 2005

interview downtown @ absolute recruitment; interviewer was some australian dude (so that's why he sounded a lil funny on the phone). think he took a liking to me after what seemed like 5 minutes, brought his boss in (a girl, not australian) n the 3 of us started discussing whether i'd be interested in a management trainee position. from what it sounds like; it's very competitive, sales/performance-oriented, fast-paced, and could be very lucrative if i play my cards right. exactly the type of job that i thought i was no longer interested in.

i mean, 2-3 years back i would've jumped at this opportunity, i didn't mind being a workaholic or putting in endless hours to get the job done, provided i'd receive a profitable outcome. i wanted something fast-paced, "exciting". i wanted my job to be the way i wanted my life to be (b/c back then life=work=money pretty much), 9-5 paper-pusher was definitely not appealing...but now i seem to be at a point where i see work as a mere form of sustenance, just something to pay the bills & fund my own personal pursuits. be it travel, adventure/sports, motorcycling, music, etc...

i guess what i'm saying is that i don't exactly dread the idea of working a "regular 9-5" job b/c 1)i tend to be the type of person who somehow finds a way to entertain myself while doing even the most mundane of tasks anyway, so being bored @ work isn't really a concern; and 2)i envision myself (hopefully) having enough stuff going on outside of work to keep me fulfilled in terms of adventure/excitement/activity. i think i dig the kind of job where i work comfortably @ my own pace (which seems to be a lot faster than that of most of my co-workers to begin with), one where i can go take a walk when i feel like it, where i can do some private research on the side, write a few chords/verses down here n there, something that keeps me busy, but not too busy.

with a job where i have to endlessly compete and bend over backwards & let the work spill into overtime/late nights & weekends, i don't see myself having the freedom to just "leave work, at work", being able to leave all my worries about work at the workplace and then be able to go crazy and do whatever it is i'll be doing outside of work, w/o my thoughts drifting back to what's going to happen on monday when that client calls, or what's going to happen with cutbacks b/c we didn't get that big account, etc...

blablabla...k this is getting too long. just thought it interesting today that this opportunity should come up during my interview. i'd actually gotten the call from them regarding a different job, but after looking @ my resume again & talking w/ me briefly, they thought i'd be a better candidate for this other position. maybe b/c i'd been trained to say all the right things, throw in all the right buzz-words, or maybe b/c we seemed to be on the same level in terms of personality/ambitions etc...they even asked me straight out: "are you the type of person that likes money?" lol, at the time i answered positively, but inside i was thinking "err...yeah, but enough's enough..." seriously, money is not a huge motivator. don't get me wrong, i have expectations/goals, but i don't think i need a 6-figure salary & a Porsche to make me happy. (a ducati & an aprilia would be plenty =P)

anyway...didn't i say this was getting too long? yeesh...but yeh, in the end i thought what the heck, i'll give it a try. so i consented to going ahead w/ the next step. i mean, it's not like i'm even getting a job offer so what's to lose? at this point i'm just taking whatever i can from whatever experience i get, and learning from it as i go along until i stumble across something that sticks.

somebody once told me that in today's workplace it's almost like we're all working for ourselves. for example, i'd say i work at bcit, for myself. that approach appeals to me; the job i do (working for whatever company) doesn't become who i am, or what i "do". i'm not a "promotions specialist", or "director of communications", or "marketing manager"...they'd just be what i do to support who i actually am. that is; a slightly deranged, endlessly hungry, pain-loving, meat-munching, adventure-seeking, "wildlife" safari-ing, thick-skulled, sometimes insensitive, always imaginative, unfortunately oblivious, and slightly quirky...individual.

*SidenotE* - saw some of the girls for the first time in a while @ buck's tonight, and Cat's pricey/"trendy"/china-village-woman-looking leather shoes (that look like the kind michael jackson wears, except with tassels. =P)

A.I.B. (Allergy Induced Binge) - Thursday, April 21 2005

-called absolute recruitment, agreed to go ahead w/ the application for the position
-went for a run, got home...then !BAM! allergy attack! crazy sneezing, stuffy nose, not cool.
-so damn hungry, such a shame all that exercise was wasted in one afternoon: one toasted turkey sandwich (cucumbers, turkey breast, mayo, honey mustard, cheese), one can Chunky Soup (New England Clam Chowder), one Sensation bar (ice cream, smothered in decadent chocolate & nuts), one grape fruit (topped w/ lots of sugar), 3-5 Starburst candies, one cup Nestle Strawberry Cheesecake flavoured ice cream...and all this between lunch & dinner, where i did nothing more than continue my miserable sneezing and blowing of the nose, try to sleep (but couldn't b/c of the sneezing), and go online. yeesh...what a waste of a beautiful day.

on a sidenote, 2 interesting sites i came across:
hitchhikersmovie.com; official site for the movie based on Douglas Adams' novel:

"the most astonishing adventure in the universe begins...when the world ends."

not bad for an attention-grabber eh? release date: april 29 2005. gotta check that one out...

n this guy's cool too:

Little Ninjai.

i rmmbr seeing the first short like years ago, but forgot who showed it to me, n never really kept up with it. watched 1-4, i'll leave the rest till later, but it's pretty cool.

1500: got a call from BCIT HR lady, they need someone for Friday morning in the Disabilities Resource Centre, & they're giving me a new contract for the next 2 weeks (at least) in Student Records. cool...

Friday, April 22 2005

-woke up ridiculously early (0730) to get to work @ 0800, logged a few hours, went to the gym, had lunch, then back home
-finally got around to calling in n booking my next few appointments, yeesh...gonna have to wait till June & July before getting any more work done. somebody gonna get hurt...
-other than that...hrrm...me thinks this was a pretty boring day...o wait, yeah; family went out for dinner. it was good.


Return of the Rat - Saturday, April 23 2005

-lil sister flew in from Prince George today @ 1305. picked her up n was going to go for some sushi @ samurai, but the place was packed so went for dim sum instead. greeeease...
-home n then napped for a bit...
-o yeah, the "rat": no real rodents here, just that mui's born in the year of the rat that's all.

1st Food Orgy of the Season - Sunday, April 24 2005

1500-1800: got a much needed haircut, rushed like mad to make my mango pudding to bring to dinner tonight, booked it to the gym for a bit, back home to pick up the half-chilled mango mess & order 1 large bbq chicken pizza...

2300: oh man...so stuffed. don't wanna go to work tomorrow. but it was a good night. had bbq/potluck/bday dinner @ Tom's house tonight. there was salmon, homemade burgers, hotdogs, chicken, mashed potatoes, pasta, spring rolls, sangria, pizza (i brought), salad, mushroom caps, mango pudding (i made), etc...quite the abundant feast. i'll hate myself when i see the new flap of flab around my waist tomorrow morning...but that's not important for now...at the moment i'm quite content; the mango pudding was well received, and there was plenty of meat. my only regret...i forgot to bring my camera!! to take pictures, of the food!! but no matter, such treasured memories will live on inside of me...well, literally at least for another few hours they will, until they've been "processed" & "disposed". *sigh*...hopefully i'll remember next time. O_o

was gonna post more HK Journals, but too tired. next time...

_______ & the Chocolate Factory - Tuesday, April 12 2005

-work @ BCIT, 2 hours turned into 6
-worked in the Disabilities Resource Center; basically office "monkey work" (reception, filing, some marking, computer stuff), test assistance/reading
-so they called me last night n told me to come in for 2 hours, ended up keeping me for 6 so that's cool, and halfway through the day they ask if i can come in for 4 hours for the next 2 days (wednesday/thursday), and i have friday booked in the TLM already. cool...
-went for a run after, tired myself out, then dinner, then Smallville, then 90% finished this song i started writing on Sunday
-found out my buddy's working in a CHOCOLATE FACTORY!!! he used to be a pastry chef, working under a world-renowned guy named Thomas Haas @ the Metropolitan Hotel in DT Vancouver, but the dude left the hotel n opened a chocolate factory n my buddy went along with him. sweet! next time i see him, i'm calling him Willy Wonka...

Wednesday, April 13 2005

-dumbass HR lady accidentally called in another worker to do the exam today, so both of us were there this morning @ 0800 with only one student taking an exam. but no matter...
-the other guy got to do the exam (which is good b/c it was super boring...) n i got to do a whole bunch of other office-monkey business (filing, shredding, couriering, etc...), & instead of the original 0800-1200, i got to work till 1430
-and on top of it all, they want me back for the full day 2mrrw: 0830-1630. huh...funny how things sometimes work out...
-bumped into mr. yeo on my way off campus tonight too, haven't seen that dude in a few years; he's takin' the Btech financial mgt program, was supposed to finish next term, but he's takin 2 months off to go to Europe instead. good choice...
-mmm...good dinner tonight. parents must've been in a "cooking mood"...

...a plentiful dinner for 3.

Thursday, April 14 2005

uuyyy...O_o haven't been sleeping well, not b/c i can't fall asleep, but this stupid lil black seefutjai keeps waking me up...

-read exams all day: 0830-1030 in the welding shop to this dude Wyatt
-bumped into an old co-worker from Future Shop, almost didn't recognize him but he recognized me
-seems he's been pretty productive: heading up the local BCIT chapter of "LOT" (Leaders of Tomorrow), some sort of organization that helps IT/Computer geeks network n hook up w/ contacts in the industry
-he's also been into cooking, helped train ppl @ the restaurant adjacent to the downtown VPL: the Fox & Fiddle, lived & worked in NY for a while too, cool...
-99% finished this song i started writing on Sunday night. i only say 99% b/c i haven't done a rough recording, so i still forget how the melody goes every once in a while so each time i run through it the tune varies slightly here n there...but close enough!

the Floater - Friday, April 15 2005

-last day of the week @ BCIT: filled in the "floater" position that rotates between the 3 different computerized Test Centres on campus
-basically take over each of the centres when people go on break; so 20 minutes here, then walk to the next one, another 30-40 minutes, then the 3rd, then start over again taking over for lunch hours...
-pretty mundane/boring job, wouldn't wanna do this long-term
-off @ 1500, work out for a bit, pick up pops from work @ 1720, grab some early dinner @ 1800
-stayed home most of the night, headed out to buck's around 2200, then ended off @ Earls for a snack n some beers w/ mr. lam n mr. siu, n finally back home to crash @ 0230.

let the weekend begin...

:the HK Journals:

DAY XVII: Holm Glad Secondary - Monday, February 21 2005

0915: wake, MTR to Kwun Tong to meet up w/ mom’s old friends/colleagues

1030: meet up w/ uncle Patrick (Lai), principal of Holm Glad Secondary
- shows me around the school, talk for a bit about whatever; future opportunities, government, NET program, the time long ago when he visited us in Vancouver (I had no recollection whatsoever O_o)
- walked around/observed some classes, met the staff, etc…
- principals must make pretty good coin, the dude drops me off @ the MTR station afterwards when it’s time for me to go…in his S-Class!

1245: meet up w/ Junk @ Kwun Tong station
- takes me to some secluded shopping district in the area where we’re in: Eastern Kowloon side of HK: this place sold lots of athletic/sports gear. Basically looks like a run-down old warehouse/office building from the outside, but once inside you see it’s like an outlet-style place (kinda like a Winners?)
- 10 floors; we start at the top n work our way down. Damn…shoes, shorts, tech tops, track jackets/pants, sweats, u name it, they had it… too bad a lot of the stuff they were selling I didn’t have need for/already had so it would’ve been wasteful to buy anyway even though it was pretty cheap…but I still got 1 or 2 things for dirt cheap

1415: lunch, hop over to Fa Yuen st., more shopping
- met up w/ Angel, the 3 of us have some Nam food for dinner
- Colin’s right when he tells me they don’t do Viet food that well here, it’s been “hongerized”, Pho just doesn’t cut it out here…but I guess it’s what the honkies like?

- on my own after dinner, finally got some leisure/down time to myself and no need to rush so I took the 2A bus (scenic route instead of the MTR) East on HK Island back to Sai Wan Ho to go back to UT’s place (my “home base”) where I unloaded some stuff, grabbed some boxers/socks etc…then hit the road again.
- Nice warm night, so I decided to walk back Westwards to the apartment (in North Point), passed through a mall, bought a shirt, had some HK McD’s again (gooood McChicken!), explored a bit of the neighbourhood in North Point, snacked…

2300: back home, crash


End of Day XVII
(Full Album)

DAY XVIII: Crunch Time (Exploring in Kowloon & Causeway Bay) - Tuesday, February 22 2005

1230: wake up late, got the day to myself
*To Do’s: visit Dad’s older brother, see a few more friends, visit mom’s younger brother
- after a bit of planning/scheduling, head out for brunch @ Espresso Café across the street: veggie soup, turkey sandwich. Not bad…
- MTR to Prince Edward Station (North side of Kowloon mainland side, across the ocean), Prince Edward’s at the northernmost end of Nathan Road (a main road leading down south to Tsim Sha Tsui)
- Mom calls while I’m walking, asks me what I’m up to, suggests I try n buy a suit. I’m sposed to buy a suit here? Apparently they’re pretty cheap, I saw some selling for real cheap in China (same price as an expensive t-shirt in Canada), but didn’t think them worth getting. But today, after some further thought, I decided heck why not; if I’m gonna need one for work n stuff some day (not a nice one, just a suit to trash/work with), why pay more than I have to?
- So I come across some shop, find a decent looking one, get the pants measured, haggle for a bit, bring the price down from 600HKD to 400HKD (about 67CDN), done.

- Meet up w/ Andrew @ TST station, check out the Tom Lee Music store there, saw some HK TV star testing out tenor saxes inside…
- Got a recommendation to try some place out for lunch from Junky over the phone, said they have this signature: tomato, beef & egg instant noodle stuff for pretty cheap
- Hard to find though, he gave us directions over the phone, n basically we got to this tiny door in the back of some narrow plaza filled w/ random stores, and narrow stairs leading downwards. Me n Andrew r thinking we took a wrong turn, n when we look at the run-down sign over the door (in Chinese), he tells me it says the door & the stairs lead down to some nightclub. So I call the Junk back n tell him where we are, saying we think we’re lost, n then he says no, we’re headed in the right direction.
- So I look at Andrew n he’s like O_o…but whatever, I’m hungry. So down we go, more corridors, n then finally down the hall, around the corner, we made it! Mmm…it was pretty good.
- Walk around TST some more, then take the ferry back across the ocean (it’s cheaper than the MTR) to Wan Chai, then head back home

1845-2000: nap…or at least I was planning on napping for that long, until Uncle Jeremy (mom’s little brother) woke me up n said to meet him @1945 in Causeway Bay for some steak dinner. Mmm…

1945: meet UJ for some beef
- after dinner, chilled w/ UJ for a bit, then headed off on my own, walked from Causeway Bay back to Fortress Hill
- plan for tomorrow: swim @ Kowloon Park, Jam @ Kit’s, meet 4 dinner w/ Dad’s brother @ 1900, confirm flight home!

0045: crash


End of Day XVIII
(Full Album)

DAY XIX: More Relatives - Wednesday, February 23 2005

1130: confirm flight, go for breakfast @ another café across the street; Bon Appetit
- MTR to TST, see some other movie star (don’t know his name, but he’s always some bad guy in those triad movies)
- Swim @ Kowloon Park w/ Junky, walk, meet up w/ Angel, have lunch @ some Taiwanese place
- Walk Harbour Centre, ferry back across the ocean

1730-1830: home for a nap

1845: MTR to Tseung Kwan O (Eastern Kowloon side) to meet Dad’s older bro n his family, check out their place for a bit, meet my cousins for the first time, then out to dinner @ Chiu Chow House. Pretty nice place, good food…

2230: back home. Still awake, went out for a walk, explored the parking lots behind the buildings, walked along the edges by the water. Parking lots in HK aren’t quite as boring as Canadian ones are, although they don’t sound like much, but there’s usually something to see. The whole stretch of pavement is right up against the harbour, so in effect, it’s kinda like walking along the Seawall @ Stanley Park in DT Vancouver, except w/o the trees =P

- walked over to this other area w/ stairs that lead up a mountainside/hill, have a look around, take in the scenery…
- 5 days left: Thursday – am w/ UT, pm w/ Clarence, Friday – JUSCO(?), meet up w/ Colin, Saturday: Uncle Patrick’s family, grandma’s sister, Sunday – Church, UW ppl, Monday – Pack
- while sitting up on the mountain, some lyrics came into my head:

mere existence, is not why I’m here…
pain of death, is not what I fear…
so what’s left, I’m holding my breath…

it’s you, you’re the reason I’m here,
only you, are worthy of fear,
and what’s more, you’ve opened the door…

to a life beyond all expectation,
a new hope that is found in redemption,
so I wait for you, to reveal my new direction…

- dunno what it is, but I love these places of solitude/meditation, they’re good for this sorta stuff I guess. Didn’t really have a tune/melody to set these words to (yet), but maybe something’ll come of em…

0012: crash


End of Day XIX
(Full Album)

employee for a (1/2)day - Tuesday, April 5 2005

0855: got called in for a half day's work @ BCIT

1030-1430: worked in the TLM Test Centre in NE1 for Trades (Power Engineering, Piping, Machinery, etc...)

1445: hit the gym afterwards since i was already there

Wednesday, April 6 2005

1200: go for a jog: 10min. walk up the hill, run 10min. East, run 10min. West, 10min. walk down the hill
-can't rmmbr what else happened, blogger was down so i couldn't record it

Thursday, April 7 2005

1400: went to gym @ Bonsor; right before i headed out decided to check email - got 2 emails about my resume posted on workopolis.com, both want interviews. cool.
-just as i was reading the emails, phone rings n it's from one of the companies that emailed me: allegis group canada, some recruiting company. booked a phone interview w/ for monday afternoon.
-gym @ Bonsor, grabbed a snack @ Metro, picked up a cheap pair of flip flops (wishful thinking, dreaming of the beach)

cutting meat grass - Friday, April 8 2005

1100: get a call from bcit asking if i can cover the same position i did on tuesday for the 11, 15, 18. i'm ok for the 15 & 18, but i can't do the 11th cuz i've already booked the phone interview for that time slot. uy....O_o ah well.

1205: do the jog again. hmm...hopefully i can keep this up like 2/3 times a week, that'd be good

1305: beautiful sunny day, soo...i help pops mow the lawn.

2245: meet up w/ mr. vuong n dudu to go catch Sin City w/ some other ppl, but the theatre's pretty packed so we walk to the theatre next door n catch Sahara instead. not a bad flick, good action, kinda funny, decent entertainment.

0045: stop in for a post-movie/midnight snack @ Boston Pizza, just eat n chill for a bit...

0300: crash.

barber shop - Saturday, April 9 2005

-bobo gets a haircut:

-help pops dig up holes in the yard n plant the 2 trees they bought a few weeks ago
-think about it: $29.99 for a whole tree?? your very own living, growing, fruit-bearing tree?? what a deal...


Monday, April 11 2005
hmmm, let's see...got a call to invigilate & administer some kinda interactive test tomorrow morning @ BCIT, somethin technical/computerish O_o sucks cuz it's only 2hrs of work, but nyeh...i live close enough to make it worthwhile. what else...phone interview w/ Allegis Group today went pretty well i think, should hear from them w/in a week...got 2 days of work coming up in the TLM Test Center @ BCIT on the 15th & 18th...yeh...that's all that's worth remembering for now i guess. ahh yes -

:the HK Journals: are back:

DAY XIV: Swim, Shop, Share - Friday, February 18

1000: wake, first good, long sleep in a while. Head back East on HK Island to Sau Kei Wan to Uncle Tyrone’s; forgot some stuff.
- went for some much needed exercise, swam @ this pool in Morrison Park. Nice Olympic-sized pool, water was warm though…O_o
- Junky takes me shopping @ all these lil shops along Johnston Road, they got lotsa sample stuff, back-door factory stuff, etc…really cheap. Think I bought like 5 items. I’d originally thought it’d be better to pack more stuff with me, that way I wouldn’t be tempted to buy more b/c I’d already have what I needed, but w/ stuff this cheap…it’s like, it’d be a waste if I didn’t buy it, cuz if I end up buying it back in Canada it’d just be like double/triple the price! Uy…so much for the “no shopping” ideal. Found these wicked sais too, wanted to buy ‘em so bad, but decided not to. =(

1745: Junky n Angel bought some stuff too, so the 3 of us stop by the bar in Wan Chai to unload some of our bags, then take the MTR north (across the ocean) over to Prince Edward Station for some more shopping along Fa Yuen St. etc…

1900: finally talk to Colin on the phone, tell him we’ll hook up for dinner. Junky takes us to this Korean bbq place…mmmm…good food, n my first taste of raw beef…
- went for dessert later…ooohh…it was good, kinda sad cuz I didn’t have the camera w/ me to capture the moment…nyeh….ah well…
- finally went home after a while, chilled in the 5th floor suite w/ the Junk, got to talk n catch up, reminisce a bit…about all the mischief we got into when he was back in B.C., surprisingly he remembers it a lot more about it than I do. He’s reminding me of things I did that I had totally forgotten about after the accident, lol, but I guess that’s a good thing. A lot of them aren’t things worth remembering anyway. Said he can tell I’ve changed quite a bit since the accident, even after having seen me for only a few days out here.
- Just shared about how life’s been these past 4-5 years, school, family, relationships, goals, tells me about his “work” too as a model. I call it “work” b/c it’s like this: he gets paid to go on wicked trips to Thailand, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, etc…for “work”. He showed me these pictures from this one shoot he did on some island called Saipan! Friggin gorgeous place: white sandy beaches, green mountains, sapphire blue water…aah…that’s gotta be my next vacation spot.

0300: crash.


End of Day XIV
(Full Album)

DAY XV: Lamma Island - Saturday, February 19

1100: wake, got a call from mom reminding me to call her friend Uncle Patrick (this principal dude of some school in Kwun Tong she wants me to meet), so I call him, arrange to visit him at his school on Monday. Back to sleep

1200: finally get up, get up, and true to my “old man” nature, go downstairs to the fruit stand n buy 3 plums for $10.

1230: walk into some place for breakfast, can’t read the menu cuz it’s all in Chinese but I ask for something w/ meat AND veggies. Waitress gives me a funny look n then nods. I look down as she walks away…damn, still got that stuff on my thumb from China! O_o
- just sitting there when my food came, I all of a sudden just started thinking to myself, and felt so overwhelmed with gratitude at the chance to just be here. Not just the fact that I was in HK, but just to be there; sitting, eating a hot meal…to think that at this same time 3 years ago I was hobbling around the hallways of VGH attached to an IV pole I decided to name Tracy. Hmm…I wonder where that pole is now?
- Back home after walking around for a bit, bored so I finally figure out Uncle Chung’s complicated DVD/Home Theatre setup n watch the latest Steven Chow (creator/star of Shaolin Soccer) flick:

Kung Fu Hustle

1430: got a call from Auntie Helen (Junky’s mom), her, Uncle Chung, n a few friends are going for a short trip over to Lamma Island, invites me to come along. Junky’s gotta see a director about a soft drink commercial, so he’ll meet up w/ us there for dinner later.

1530: meet them @ the Star Ferry terminal on HK Island n catch a 20min. ferry ride to Lamma Island:

- lots of fresh seafood for sale, had some hot dessert tofu & fresh pineapple before walking around the island. Beautiful place, lotsa tourists come here, bet it’s even nice in summer…o yeah! Did you know Chow Yun Fat is originally from Lamma Island? Yeah, we walked by an elementary school that he donated a whole whack of money to…

1810: after basically walking the island from East to West, we end off at some marketplace/touristy area. I take off on my own for a bit, and find Junky who comes on his own while the rest of the “older folks” go sit down @ the restaurant: Tai Hing.

1900: sit down to dinner prepared by owner of the restaurant; their friend who’s a wicked chef: fried shrimp balls, “elite” sweet n sour pork, some rare type of fish, n a whole whack of other stuff…mmm…oh me oh my, what a dinner!

- afterwards, take one of their boats over to Cheung Chau island, where they’re originally from
- these islands are the paradise that I totally need after spending a few weeks in noisy, stuffy HK: less dense, less polluted, they don’t even have cars on these islands! Everyone walks/rides bicycles, even cops! The only gas-powered vehicle is this tiny van that’s used as an ambulance. Ahh…peace n quiet
- checked out their house in Cheung Chau: Auntie Helen’s very proud of it, it’s been her project for like 2 years. It’s amazing, like totally out of a magazine! Crazy fireplaces, white marble floors everywhere, mirrored stainless steel doors, designer everything…crazy…I didn’t even feel like I should take pictures cuz it was too nice…
- chilled in Junky’s room for a bit, checked out his crazy gadgets (u know how hongers love gadgets), he’s got one of those big ass horns u see people in Australia use, u know, those big ones that have to rest on the floor, n u blow it n it makes this crazy weird low-pitched “boing-y” sound?? Yeah, one of those…
0200: walk out to the edge of the island for some late night snack food…

0330: crash.


End of DAY XV
(Full Album)

DAY XVI – Cheung Chau Island & Desserts - Sunday, February 20

1015: wake up. Grab a snack in the market, and then head to church.
- service was in Chinese so I didn’t retain too much, but there was one hymn that caught my attention: “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” written by Thomas A. Dorsey. Liked the lyrics & the tune (downloaded it after I got back to Vancouver actually, n it turns out it’s been performed by Elvis??)
- went for some lunch afterwards, then visit Junky’s Grandparents (Uncle Chung’s parents)
- they haven’t seen me in a looong time. They know my parents too when they lived in Canada for a while, n Junky’s grandpa is a crazy fisherman (all Cheung Chau ppl are crazy fishermen) so he used to go to Canada all the time n go fishing in the Queen Charlotte Islands. It was good to see them again
- flipped through a lotta old pictures n stuff @ Grandma & Grandpa Wong’s place, even saw a few that I remembered

1300: alright, time for some adventure. Junky takes me on a walking tour of his childhood stomping grounds:

- Cheung Chau ppl also happen to be well known as Dragon boat Racers. They’re among the best in HK
- Went to this spot by the sea called “Cheung Po Tsai” cave; a big tourist attraction now. Back in the day, there used to be a pirate (a Chinese pirate?!) called Cheung Po Tsai, n the cave is supposedly where he stashed his loot.
- Took a ferry as a quick shortcut to the other side of the island where we walked up to the top of this hill that’s pretty much the “top” of the island where you get a good view of Cheung Chau. The island’s actually shaped kinda like a dumbbell, skinny in the middle, w/ 2 larger land masses on either end

1530: get back to the house for dinner, Auntie Helen’s cooking!
- tired from the walk, us boys crash in the living room in front of the TV for a “20” minute nap, turns out to be an hour O_o uy…

1935: after dinner, rush to catch the ferry back to HK Island, get picked up by Angel @ the terminal

2000: drop off bags @ apartment, head off to Tsing Yee for some signature dessert: Yeung Jee Gum Low (fresh mango, milk, juice, tapioca, fruit pulp)

- you can get this dessert at other places, but according to the locals, the street vendors have the best stuff, and they only come out @ night
- after that, start driving East to some other place called “Lucky Dessert”
- took a wrong turn, went into some unauthorized area (unintentionally) & got stopped by some security guards. No big deal, except they wanted to fine us for “trespassing”, so I tell Junky not to give ‘em ne info/sign the form that they gave him (which would’ve resulted in him admitting fault & possibly being fined up to $5000HKD)
- security dorks wouldn’t let us go, since we refused to show ID they call the cops…yeesh…dumb honger cops…

- after about a 30min. holdup, finally got outta there (takes too long to explain/type, but we didn’t end up paying anything), get to the dessert place n get some more sugar…

1130: get home, shower, plan out the next few days, crash.


End of DAY XVI
(Full Album)

*whew* k, gotta get some sleep...work @ 0830 tomorrow... O_o